Approximately 2.5 lakh (250,000) devotees gathered at the religious event in Hathras, leading to a deadly stampede. According to the first FIR filed in the case, volunteers, known as sewadars, tried to hide evidence by throwing away the belongings of the victims.
The stampede happened during a spiritual gathering led by Bhole Baba, a preacher also known as Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari. Despite Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh’s statement that Bhole Baba would face action, his name was not mentioned in the FIR.
The organizers, including the main volunteer Devprakash Madhukar, are accused of allowing more people than permitted and lying about the expected crowd size. They also face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for fabricating evidence.
The incident, which led to 121 deaths and many injuries, was exacerbated by the unexpectedly large crowd and the uneven ground at the event site. The healthcare facilities were overwhelmed, struggling to manage the number of casualties.
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